SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A new bill has been introduced to Utah’s legislative session that hopes to require universities and colleges to make reasonable accommodations to a student’s ‘sincerely held religious beliefs.’
The proposed bill, SB244’s sponsored by Senator Michael Kennedy, R-Alpine, is aimed towards having students allowed the same opportunities as others during religious observances.
If passed, students will be allowed to reschedule academic responsibilities during the times they wouldn’t necessarily do their best in.
“[SB244] requires to reasonably accommodate student absences from scheduled examinations or
academic requirements if they create an undue hardship due to the student’s sincerely held religious beliefs,” reads the bill.
According to SB244, universities will only be able to work with a student’s religious beliefs only if ‘the student provides a written notice to the instructor of the course for which the student seeks the accommodation regarding the date of the examination or academic requirement for which the student seeks the accommodation.’
This bill will most likely impact students of the Islamic faith, who tend to observe +7 hour fasts during the month of Ramadan.
SB244 has currently passed Senate and now is at the floor of House members.
